REVIEW

At this point in his career it seems like Kid Rock can pretty much do whatever he wants – and he does.

In April, he announced his Best Night Ever Tour, boasting a flat $20 ticket price, $4 draft beer, similarly inexpensive food and merchandise and free coffee after the show. Coming from bankrupt Detroit, one of the economy's hardest-hit cities, Rock, who has achieved great success since breaking into the mainstream with his 1998 album “Devil Without a Cause,” noted several times during Friday's sold-out stop at Irvine's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater that he's grateful fans would spend even a dime to watch him perform.

Keeping costs low was enabled via a handful of 30-second commercials Rock recorded for sponsors – American institutions like Jim Beam whiskey and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Had prices been higher, that would have felt like a dirty sellout.

Instead, the Kid was sincere about it, explaining that without these companies stepping up, there'd be no way to make the outing so affordable while still pulling out all the stops for his show and providing for support acts, including funky veterans Kool & the Gang and Rock's right-hand man, Uncle Kracker. He also had Shriners walking the grounds selling his latest album, “Rebel Soul,” for $10, with all proceeds benefiting their children's hospitals.

But just because tickets were cheap didn't mean Rock shortchanged his audience. There was as much gaudy lighting plus plenty of fog and pyrotechnics as all his other shows, and he didn't slow down at all, jumping right in with the fast-paced rap-rock of “Devil Without a Cause” and blending it seamlessly into “Celebrate.”

The evening drew a mixed crowd, mostly people from their late 30s to mid-50s. A few people brought children – sweet, innocent children – while many older folks sported cowboy hats and boots. Seemingly alarmed by the number of f-bombs dropped, they still got into it, dancing and waving their arms and singing along. The entire audience, from front row to back of the lawn, was on its feet most of the time. It was definitely a party atmosphere, and once those $4 beers kicked in, fans were roaring along to “Cowboy,” “Wasting Time” and “Born Free.”

His longtime backing group, the Twisted Brown Trucker Band, constantly switched up styles, from pounding metal to twangy country to funky soul and straight-up rock 'n' roll, and the long-haired MC, whose friends call him Bob, slipped easily in and out of those genres. The lyrics to “American Badass” delineate his multiple musical personalities via a rundown of influences: AC/DC, ZZ Top, Hank Williams Jr., Beastie Boys, Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Limp Bizkit, Korn, the Stones, Johnny Cash, Grand Master Flash. During that track, when he called out “David Allen Coe and No-Show Jones,” a photo of late country legend George Jones flashed on the screen behind him; Rock paused and changed the lyric in tribute.

He capped his 90-minute set with 2008's crossover hit “All Summer Long,” and its familiar piano and guitar bits, sampled from Warren Zevon's “Werewolves of London” and Skynyrd's “Sweet Home Alabama,” even got reluctant admirers to cut loose. Of course, it wouldn't be a Kid Rock show if he didn't include the tune whose intro has him screaming his own name. “Bawitdaba” – hard-hitting, head-banging and filled with pyro – was a fitting closer.

Rock's friend and collaborator Uncle Kracker started the show, going on about 15 minutes earlier than scheduled, which meant he played to lots of empty seats. Nonetheless, he packed a lot into his short set and got the ladies swaying to his single “Smile” before luring in more patrons with his cover of Dobie Gray's “Drift Away.”

Kool & the Gang may have seemed like an unlikely second act on paper, but it sure felt right in person. The funky bunch, a dozen in all, was initially met with blank stares from the still-sparse crowd; it took a handful of hits to really draw people in. But it only took a bit of “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging” to really set the mood, and by the time the Gang declared “Ladies' Night,” it was an all-out party. During “Get Down on It,” the venue began to fill in with people dancing in the aisles – who then went wild during a version of “Celebration” that seemed to go on forever.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.